Detailed monitoring of children’s well-being is needed to ensure that resources to improve their lives are been correctly targeted, a comprehensive new report has recommended, writes David Brown.
Wide disparities in the indicators of the quality of children’s lives are found between the four home nations and even within each region, according to research by Save the Children and the University of York.
For example, Townhill ward in Swansea has a child poverty rate of 80 per cent compared with 3 per cent in neighbouring North Killay. While Northern Ireland has the highest infant mortality rate it also has the lowest teenage pregnancy rate.
The report covers 22 areas that effect child well-being, ranging from poverty, health and education to crime and the environment. It also examines less well documented indicators such as youth suicide, young people who go missing and sport and play.
Madeline Tearse, a policy and strategy manager for Save the Children, said: "It is impossible to imagine how governments can effectively reach those children most in need of their support without detailed UK-wide and country-level monitoring of children’s well-being."
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